Tire-casing spreader



April 1930. G. E. WEAVER L TIRE GAS ING SPREADER Filed July 16, 1927 4Sheets-Sheet l G. E. WEAVER ET AL -Ap l, 1930.

' TIRE CASING SPREADER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 16, 1927 April '1,1930. WEAVER ET AL 1,753,035

TIRE CASING SPREADER Filed July 16, 1927 I V 4 Shets-Sheet 3 a -J Z7April 1, 1930. G, E WEAVER ET AL 1,753,035

TIRE GAS ING SPREADER Filed July 16, 1927 v lSheets-Sheet 4 2a ll, 27

Patented Apr. 1, 1930 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAILARD E. WEAVERAND EDWARD W. KELLEY, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN- ORS TO WEAVERMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, A COR- PORATION OFILLINOIS TIRE-GASING SPREADER Application filed July 16,1927. Serial No.206,358.

Our invention concerns appliances, preferably, but not necessarily, ofthe power-operated type, for spreading or opening up pneumatictire-casings for inspection and repair purposes without danger ofinjuring them, one aim of the invention being the provision of a simplestructure of this character which upon, a further purpose of theinvention constituting the production of an apparatus of this characterin which the tire-casings are stretched open in a natural manner withoutsubjecting the bead or tread portions to any undue strains.

To permit those acquainted with this art to fully understand theinvention, in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, a present, preferred embodiment of the invention has beenpresented in detail, and, for ease in understanding the construction,like reference numerals have been employed to designate the samemechanical elements throughout the several views.

In these drawings,-

Fig. l is a perspective view of the new structure, showing .atire-casing supported.

thereon and spread open by the operating hooks;

Fig. 2 is a broken, end elevation of the apparatus, a portion only ofthe tire-casing being shown in section and before the spreading hookshave engaged it;

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the parts in the positions whichthey occupy after the tire-casing has been at least partially opened up;

Fig. 4 is a broken, front elevation of the construction; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring to these drawings, it will be ob served that the applianceincludes a base 21 of appropriate shape adapted to be fastened to thefloor by suitable screws and equipped at the rear with an uprightstandard 22 including an upper, statlonary, cylindrical shaft or post 23on which spaced bearings 24 and 25 of a bracket 26 are slidable, suchbracket carrying a forwardly-projecting, revoluble, anti-friction roller27, with a thin, enlarged, end section 28, such roller being adapted toproject into the central opening of a tire-casing 29, as shown in Fig.1, the upper rear bead. portion of which casing is designed to bear onthe roller, with the larger front part 28 of the latter accommodatedbetween its margins.

A coiled, expansion spring 31 surrounds the post or shaft 23, bearlng atits lower end on the larger, lower part of the standard 22 and pressingat its upper end against the under surface of the lower bearing of thebracket, such spring being of suitable capac ity for supporting thetire-casing in substantial measure, whereby it may be readily turnedaround its own axis, while thus supported, to bring new sections intothe field of action of the spreading means about to be described.

The smaller part of the roller assists in upholding the tire-casing andits larger part prevents the casing from falling forwardly, the absenceof any roller beneath thefront bead section of the casing permitting theeasy introduction of the inner tube Three vertical posts 32 and anassociated,

similar, hollow or tubular post 33 (see Fig.

5) support an elevated cylinder 34 and a suitably-curved form-block orbuffing-plate 35 over which the tire-casing is designed to betransversely spread, distended, or turned partly inside out, suchcylinder accommodating a sliding piston or plunger 36 within it, thecylinder having its top portion in communication with the upper end ofthe tube 33, through which compressed air is adapted to be admitted intothe cylinder above the piston to cause its descent, and through whichthe air may be discharged to permit the ascent of the piston, such inletand exhaust of the air being controlled by valves of common formactuated by suitable pedals 37 and 38 at the front of the base.

The piston-rod 39 is adapted to slide through a bearing or stuffing boxin the bot.-

tom oylinder-hea and its lower end carries a cross-head 41 pulledupwardly by a pair of coiled, contractile springs 42, 42 connected attheir lower ends to the terminal portions of the cross-head and at theirupper ends to extensions on the top cylinder-head, so that when theexhaust-valve is opened by depression'of its pedal 38, the springs willautomatically cause the ascent or rise of the piston-rod and piston andforce out the air in the cylinder above the piston.

The cross-head, near its ends, has two, long, upright screws 43, 43 withheads 44,

threaded at their lower ends into it.

The unthreaded shank of each such screw has upper and lower blocks 45and 46, respectively, slidably mounted thereon, with a coiled spring 47encasing the shank, bearing at its opposite ends on the two blocks,tending'to separate them lengthwise the screw, as will readily beunderstood, element 45 being limited as to its position by its bearingagainst the screw-head44. Each member 46 has a pair of upwardlyextended,oppositely arranged or facing, rigid hooks 48 and 49 hinged thereon at51 and 52, respectively, whereby they are capable of swinging outwardlyin opposite directions during the tire-casing spreading action, and eachsuch pair of hooks is connected to the corresponding block 45 by theassociated, oppositely, upwardly, inclined links 53 and 54.

It may be noted that, if either pairv of hooks, 48, 48 01'49, 49 on thesame side of the machine are swung outwardly by hand, the other pairwill recede in the opposite direction in equal degree, the upper partsof both front hooks and both rear hooks being connected together bythreaded rods 50 and companion nuts.

The novel appliance is operated practically as follows:

While the hooks are spread apart by hand, or lowered out of the way bythe mechanism described, the tire-casing to be inspected is placed on orrolled up on to the rounded plate 35 and with its upper part over theroller 27 with its larger, end sect-ion 28 in the gap between themargins of the casing, the latter in effect being hung on such roller,the spring 31 in large measure supporting the casing in this relation sothat it will not fall over and so that it may be readily turned on theroller to bring the-part which is sus pected of being damaged, and whichrequires spreadin for examination as to the extent and precise locationof the injury, over the curved place 35.

The manually-separated hooks having thereafter been released, permittingthem to automatically come together above the gap or space between themargins of that section of the tire-casing on the plate, the operatorthe tire-casing and engage the bead or marginal portions thereof,whereupon, due to the resistance to the deformation or distortion whichthe casing offers to the further travel of such hooks, the springs 47become compressed upwardly, thereby rocking the links 53 and 54 in thesame direction relatively to their blocks 45, hence causing the .hooksto separate as they continue their descent and thus spread open thatpart of the tire-casing over which they hook and sections adjacentthereto.

In other words, the opposition which the tire-casing offers to thevertically descending or lowering hooks gives rise to the separation ofthe latter and effects the opening of the tire-casing.

Obviously, therefore, the appliance can be used with a large range ofsizes of tire-v casings, because the hooks or spreading fingers will notbegin to move apart until they have properly and adequately grasped themargins of the casing, and, the more such resistance is, the greater theforce or power of the spreading action.

As has been explained, the movements of the blocks 46 .on the shanks ofthe screws 43 depend upon the resistance that the tirecasing opposes tothe downward travel of the hooks 48, so that as the tire begins to open,due to the downward pressure of the hooks, the tire-casin itselfcontrols the amount of travel of the locks 46 on the screws.

A small tire-casing will not open as wide as a large one, because itdoes not ofi'er as much resistance, and, consequently, there will not beas much movement or travel of the blocks 46 on their screws as therewill membered that the invention is capable of incorporation in avariety of physical forms all having the fundamental principles ofstructure of the invention, the latter being defined by the appendedclaims.

We claim:

1. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of a pair ofoppositely-facing tire-casing spreader-hooks, a first means to support atire-casing with the gap between its margins in substantial registerwith the ends of said hooks, a second means to cause said casing andhooks to approach one another relatively and to cause such hooks toenter said gap and engage the margins ofthe tire-casing, and a thirdmeans tending to hold said hooks in register with said gap andcontrolled by the deformation resistance ofiered by the casing to causesaid hooks to separate and spread the casing on further action of saidsecond means.

2. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of a pair ofoppositely-facing tire-casing spreader-hooks, a first means to support atire-casing with the gap between its margins in substantial registerwith the ends of sald hooks, a second means to cause said casing andhooks to approach one another relatively and to cause such hooks toenter such gap and engage. the margins of the casing, and a thirdspring-cushioned means tending to hold said hooks in re star with saidgap and controlled by the de ormation resistance offered by the casingto cause said hooks to separate and spread the casing on further actionof said second means.

3. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of a pair ofoppositely-facing tire-casing spreader-hooks, a first means to support atire-casing with the gap between its margins in substantial registerwith the ends of said hooks, a second means to cause said casing andhooks to approach one another relatively and to cause such hooks toenter such gap and engage the margins of the casing, and a thirdspring-cushioned link means tending to hold said hooks in register withsaid gap and controlled by the deformation resistance offered by thecasing to cause said hooks to se arate and spread the casing on furtheraction of said second means.

4:. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of a pair ofoppositely-facing tire-casing spreader-hooks, means to support a tire"casing with the gap between its margins in substantial register withsaid hooks, a support, means to move said support, a block movablymounted on said support and on which said hooks are hinged, spring meansopposing movement of said block, and links pivoted to said hook and tostationary means on said support, whereby upon the initial movement ofsaid support said hooks enter said gap and engage the margins of thetire-casin and thereafter due to the deformation resistance offered bythe tire-cas ing said hooks move said block against the action of saidspring causing the rockin of said links thereby efiecting the sprea ingaction of said hooks.

guide on said cross-head, a block slidable on said guide, means ieldin lo osin the sliding of said block on sfiiil giiide, iiieans hinging saidhooks on said block, and links pivotally mounted on said cross-head andpivotally connected to said hooks, whereby upon the initial movement ofsaid cross-head said hooks enter said gap and engage the margins oftire-casing and thereafter diie to the deformation resistance offered bythe tirecasing said hooks move said block against the action of saidyielding means causing the rocking of said links thereby efiecting thespreadmg action of said hooks. I

6. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of a block on Which thetire-casing is adapted to rest, an upper roller on which the under sideof one bead portion only of the tire-casing is adapted to bear, andmeans designed to occupy the gap between the upper portions of thetire-casing margins to prevent the tire-casing from falling over, saidblock, roller and gas-occupying means constituting the sole support forthe tire-casing and I permitting the ready introduction of an inner tubeinto the casing while the latter is thus supported.

7 In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of a block on which thetire-casing is adapted to rest, and an upper roller having a smallerdiameter portion on which the under side of one bead portion only of thetire-casing is adapted to bear and having a larger diameter sectiondesigned to occupy the gap between the upper portions of the tire-casingmargins to prevent the tire-casing from falling over, said block androller constituting the sole support for the tire-casing and permittingthe ready introduction of an inner-tube into the casing while the latteris thus supported.

8. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of a support for atire-casing, oppositelyfacing spreader-hooks hinged below said supportand adapted to engage the opposite bead portions of the tire-casing,means to produce relative movement between such casing andspreader-hooks, and a separate means to cause said spreader-hooks tofollow the deformation of the tire-casing during its spreading action.

9. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of a support for thetire-casing, a carriage movable toward and from said support, means tooperate said carriage, a block movable on said carriage, arms hinged onsaid block and having hooks adapted to engage over the opposite marginalportions of a tire-casing mounted on said support, links hingedlyconnected to said carriage and to'said arms, and 8 yielding means actingon said block tending to rock both arms inwardly toward one another,whereby upon yielding of said yielding means durin movement of thecarriage, said arms and lin s rock to spread the former apart andthereby effect the spreading of the tire-casing by means of the hooks.

10. In a tire-casing reader, the combination of a sup ort for t etire-casing, a carriage slidable elow and toward and from said support,means to slide said carriage a block slidable on said carriage, armshinged on said block and havinghooks adapted to engage over the oppositemarginal portions of a tire-casing mounted on said support, linkshingedly con- 20 nected to said carriage and to said arms, and

yielding means acting on said block tending to rock both arms inwardlytoward one another, whereby upon yielding of said yield- Y ing means dueto the resistance of the tirecasing to deformation during descent of thecarriage, said arms and links rock to spread the former apart andthereby efiect the spreading of the tire-casing by means of the hooks.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

GAILARD E. WEAVER. EDWARD W. KELLEY.

